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'My Co-op Energy £5,400 bill farce is adding to my ill health'

The reader says she spoke to more than 30 people about her late mother’s bill

Jessica Gorst-Williams

8 September 2018 • 6:00 AM

My dear elderly mother bought a two-bedroom bungalow holiday home in north Wales in 2014. She inherited Co-op Energy to supply electricity.

Shockingly and sadly she died unexpectedly under grim circumstances in 2016.

I have ongoing health problems and had a heart attack caused by the grief and shock of losing Mum. The continued stress and worry of the Co-op Energy matter I am writing to you about, leaving me with a bill for more than £5,400, is adding to my ill health.

Please can you help?

HT, Cheshire

Even though your mother had notified Co-op Energy that she was the new owner and of her address, bills continued to be sent to the previous owner’s address. For a long time nobody at Co-op Energy would talk to her over the phone or reply to her letters.

At last she spoke to someone and thought she had arranged to have bills sent to her home address in Essex. Rather than that, they were then sent to the Wales address when she wasn’t there.

When she did get them, the figures were wrong and numerous letters and calls were made. Your mother gave permission for you to deal with it, but Co-op Energy wouldn’t let you.

After your mother died the matter simmered on. Finally Co-op Energy admitted the meter was faulty. But now no one seemed to understand the old meter information should be discounted.

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You began dealing with the bereavement team, which, despite being apparently sympathetic, did not resolve the issue.

You estimate that you must have spoken to more than 30 people about your late mother’s bill. What you were seeking was the correct amount reflecting genuine usage calculated from an accurate meter on the cheapest tariff. You were always happy to pay what was due.

Further to my involvement, a spokesman for Co-op Energy said: “We have apologised to Mrs T for the issues she’s experienced and the case has now been resolved to her satisfaction.”

The bill presented for a period from March 29 2014 to April 24 2017 had been for £5,420.93 when in fact what you had owed seems to have been £402, after allowing for the amount your mother had paid.

The amount due after that, taking into account £150 compensation (Co-op Energy had offered £40 at first), was £252.

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This makes sense to you as the property was occupied on various occasions. You have therefore paid this. All other outstanding charges have been waived under the back-billing code where domestic customers are not, in certain circumstances, charged for energy used more than 12 months ago but not billed for. See ofgem.gov.uk for more details.

It has been difficult getting the right facts from Co-op Energy, which gave conflicting information and failed to come back when it said it would.

What a shambles to have to contend with at such a difficult time. You say you have to bring closure to this case as it continues to cause you stress and anguish.

I hope Co-op Energy will reflect on just how much unhappiness it has caused.